Jun 14, 2010

Fontina Mac and Cheese

The day I saw this recipe on Annie’s Eats, I didn’t have anything planned for dinner that night (I usually have all of my meals planned for the week). So I knew I had to stop by the grocery store and make this – especially when I saw how easy it was to put together. Most macaroni and cheese recipes require a béchamel sauce and tempering eggs into the cheese mixture. This recipe was essentially just cooking the noodles and stirring together the ingredients – then baking in the oven. I served this with some steamed broccoli – and it was the perfect comforting meal. You really should try this recipe!

Ingredients

1 lb. medium pasta shells

5 tbsp. unsalted butter, divided

1 cup heavy cream

8 oz. Fontina cheese, shredded

Salt

Pinch of grated nutmeg

1/3 cup Panko bread crumbs

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400˚ F.

2. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta according to the package directions minus 1-2 minutes.

3. Place 4 tablespoons of the butter and place in a large mixing bowl.

4. Warm the cream in a small saucepan or the microwave. Cover to keep warm.

5. Once the pasta is cooked, add to the bowl with the butter and toss to coat well. Stir in the warm cream and the Fontina until the cheese starts to melt. Mix in salt to taste, and add the nutmeg.

6. Pour the mixture into a 2-quart casserole dish.

7. In a small bowl, melt the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter. Mix in the panko breadcrumbs and Parmesan. Toss with a fork to coat evenly with the butter.

8. Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture evenly over the pasta in the baking dish.

9. Bake until the sauce is bubbling and the top turns golden brown, about 20 minutes. Serve immediately.